Archives for May 2011

What is Your Child’s Learning Style?

May 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment

We are fast approaching the end of the month of May and, in my country, this usually signals preparation for the start of the new school year. We do not follow the International calendar so our school year is from June to March and so it is also around this time that I prepare materials and the like for my kids. For the past couple of years, it has been just about my son. He is entering Preparatory this year, this is the last year in pre-school. This year, though, my daughter is already starting school so it is, admittedly, a bit overwhelming to think about two kids in school. And they are such different kids as well that it just cannot follow that the school that my son enjoys, my daughter will, no doubt, enjoy as well. This prompted me to do some research about learning styles. I know, this may be late considering my son has been in school for the past three years but I always say that when it has something to do with the kids, it is never too late.

There are apparently three main learning styles to consider when it comes to a child. There is the Visual, the Auditory, or the Kinesthetic or Tactile learning style. Sounds like mouthful? Yes, I know, but it really is not that difficult to understand once you sit down and get to know the styles. So let’s do a run down of the individual styles and state some simple examples to illustrate the styles.

Does it seem like a whole lot to take in? Well, according to what I researched, most kids use a combination of these learning styles although most also choose a favored path when processing information. The good thing about doing this research is that I found or that learning styles are really better seen in the early years of a child’s schooling, in grade school in fact, so this whole exercise is not that late for my first child after all.

Determining your child’s learning style

They first start out by posing a scenario:

Imagine your child making a microwave snack for the first time. Would he:

Read the instructions in the package first?
Ask you how to do things?
Or toss the packet into the microwave and wing it?

The answer to this question will determine, in a very simplistic way, if your child is a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner. Let’s take a look at, again, a very simple chart outlining what these kinds of learner’s really are.

Descriptions of the three learning styles

Learning Style 1: Visual learners

learn by seeing; for example, by watching others, by reading.
have a preference for the “look-say” approach to learning to read.
have creative imaginations; daydream, draw detailed and/or colorful pictures
remember faces better than names.
have good handwriting.
tend to check out a new situation carefully before joining in.
prefer art to music.
often see a detail first rather than the whole.
are often meticulous about their work.

Learning Style 2: Auditory learners

learn most easily by listening to explanations.
have a preference for phonics instruction as part of learning to read.
love to chatter and socialize.
often talk to themselves while working.
have strong vocabularies.
are easily distracted by noise.
may have a strange sense of fashion, mixing unmatchable colors and patterns.
prefer music to art.

Learning Style 3: Kinesthetic or tactile learners

learn best through direct involvement in the action: modeling, building, producing.
are adept at taking things apart and putting them back together.
excel at some sports.
are good dancers.
fidget and touch things constantly.
touch you to get your attention.
respond well to touch.
are poor spellers.
have poor handwriting.
have difficulty with verbal or written direction.
read with difficulty and often don’t enjoy being read to.

Again apparently, most children do not show a complete preference for one or the other learning style. A lot of kids draw on two or all of the styles. In fact it is said that a lot of the kids who excel in school use a combination of all three styles. I tried to look at my son to see if I could identify his learning style but I am not very confident considering that my son is below grade school years already. At the same time, I am not a child psychologist so I am not too comfortable attaching labels that I am not an expert on. Most psychologists say though that these summaries are a good starting point for parents to use when considering schools for their kids and a good place to detect anything odd that trained professionals can help with.

Now, considering all these, it can be a bit easier at least to look at ways to nurture your child’s learning development and to make him or her more comfortable with learning differently, or approaching things in a different way. This includes choosing a school that is focused on helping nurture the different learning styles in a child.

For me, this is extremely useful information as I look over what kind of elementary school I want to put my child in. I will be sure when I talk to his teacher that is ask how these learning styles are addressed. What are the lessons? How are the lessons taught? How is the curriculum prepared, divided? What kind of media will be used for the different and individual subjects.

For example, will there be:

slides, films, written work, and demonstrations for the visual learners?
tapes, verbal instruction, periods of quiet time for the auditory learners.?
experiments, opportunities to build or to move around the whole classroom and school for the kinesthetic learners?

To be honest, these were already the things I considered when I looked into the many, many preschools for my kids. Other than this, I also considered the teaching styles or methods of each school. Progressive, Multiple Intelligence, Eclectic, Developmentally Appropriate, Traditional, Waldorf, there are just so many of them and that is an entirely new post. So, what is the importance of all this? Understanding your kids learning style can help you choose a school for him or her. You can either choose a school that will complement his way of leaning or you can choose a school that will work to develop other learning styles. You can also use what you have observed to help teach your kids yourself, whether this be taking on your kids education on the whole, or when doing homework with him or her.

Do you think knowing these learning styles helps you?

How to Have a Successful Garage Sale

May 27, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Now that the weather is warming up – and the days are a bit dryer – people are sprucing up their homes. This usually involves spring cleaning, de-cluttering and having garage sales.

I’ve had a garage sale or two in my day. I’ll be honest, it’s not my favorite thing in the world but it is a great way to get rid of extra stuff and make a bit of cash. One of the most difficult parts of garage sales – for me anyway – is pricing. I’m pretty sure this is because I think my old junk, is worth much more than I would want to pay for some one else’s old junk. Of course, it’s not — but it’s mine, so I am personally attached to it — which makes me think it is pretty much priceless. It’s almost like I am doing people a favor by allowing them to purchase my items. Too bad other people don’t quite see it my way.

I also don’t like haggling. I always second guess myself. If I don’t accept someone’s offer I think, “Maybe I should have just taken it. Now I’m never going to sell this thing!” or if I do give in I think, “I could have gotten a lot more for that. Shoot! Why did I give in so easy.” What I have to keep reminding myself, is that people are paying me, to haul away the things my family and I don’t need or use anymore. When it comes to especially large items — this can be an excellent arrangement.

Getting the most from having a yard sale

I have also learned that there is a real art to this whole garage sale thing. Serious garage sale enthusiasts – both buyers and sellers – have a well thought out system and know just what they are doing. If you want to have a successful garage sale — you do too.

Here are a few things I have learned from others and also from my own experience.

1. Advertise

You need to let people know that you are having a garage sale. If you think people don’t look at the newspapers to see where sales are — you are wrong. It is worth the investment. You don’t have to have a huge ad — just a simple one that lets people know what kind of items you are selling – and where to find you – is great. There are a lot of free ways to get the word out as well. Put your ad on Craigslist, create an event on Facebook letting your friends and family know about your sale, tweet it, tell everyone you can think of. Handing out fliers or placing them on community bulletin boards can be great ways of letting people know about your sale as well.

The day of the Garage Sale be sure to post clearly marked signs so people can find you. Free standing signs are great and can be used again and again. If you get brightly colored poster board, that is effective in catching people’s attention as well.

2. Organize your stuff!

I don’t do a lot of shopping at garage sales, but when I have been out looking for things — an organized garage sale will make me stop. A disorganized or cluttered looking sale, has me hitting the gas peddle. See ya!

If you want top dollar for your items — you need to make it look like they are worth it. Sort items by category, clean your items, hang up the nicer pieces of clothing you want to sell. Take pride in your stuff and others will see the value in it too.

Organization is also important if you are having a multi-family garage sale. Make sure each person’s items are clearly marked. Using a different color of sticker – for each family – is very helpful.

3. Pricing

As I mentioned earlier – I’m not great at pricing my own items – but on FrugalDad.com, he has a great pricing guideline there, which you may find very useful. Something else that might be helpful, is to have someone else help you with the pricing. My Mom is fantastic at this because she has been to lots of garage, yard, and estate sales and she has a pretty good idea about how to price items to sell. My thought is, you can always mark things down later, especially if your sale is going to last a few days – toward the end of the sale if you are just wanting to get stuff out of your garage you might slash prices considerable the last day.

4. Be Prepared

Make sure you have enough change on hand, keep the cash box in a safe place (and makes “drops” when needed), use old grocery bags for people to carry their smaller items home in, and have newspaper available to wrap breakable items.

Do you have any helpful tips for people planning garage sales this year? Do you have tips for people shopping at these types of sales?

Spring is Here, Time for Yard Work

May 25, 2011 | 1 Comment

Now that we here in the East have survived a week of nothing but cold and rain the sun is finally out! It was warm at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit and everybody was outside. The amazing thing was how much everything had grown during the week of rain! The grass had been cut right before the rain started and it was over the boy’s ankles already. Of course this then makes me nervous because of the ticks. There is always something to be concerned about.

With the grass and mud I have learned that even a 13 yr. old and a 10 yr. old are in their glory. But, it was also time to pull out the yard tools and get to work. There is always some pulling of teeth (so to speak) to get the boys to want to help. The preteen years are a bit of a juggling act. Ask them if they want to help and they would rather climb a mountain. Tell them they HAVE to help and then you get the “eye-rolling silent breathing gasp treatment”. Finding a happy medium takes not only a concentrated effort on the parents’ part but also amazing is the fact that these almost full-blown teens have the answers to EVERYTHING. And finally, the family is working as a team…sigh.

Teaching children to work for what they want

After getting the work done we all sit outside and relax. My 13 yr. old wants a dirt bike. My 10 yr. old wants anything with a motor. Again we have the “talk” about how if you want something you will have to work to earn it. They both answer at the same time that they know. If they KNOW then why do we need to have this discussion at least once a week?

So we are back to discussing how fast everything grows in the rain and the newest toys they now want/need. They are going to work for what they want and have asked for extra chores. This is going to last until the middle of the week when they have to be reminded if they want those things they need to do the chores.

Two things come to mind when I think about the day. My kids are growing and changing as much as nature has shown us today. As with the flowers and grass my kids need to be fed and guided and yes pruned back every once in a awhile.

Teaching my kids they have to work and earn what they want is very important. I want them to learn how it feels to have earned something rather than just have it handed to them. They will learn that if they really want something it is worth working hard for and in the end it will show them that they can do pretty much anything they want if they put their minds to it.

Do you give your children chores? Do they earn the money for the extra things that they want?

What Should We Teach Our Kids?

May 24, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Values and manners; I do not know what it was like growing up in your homes but in mine, there was a strong emphasis on both these things. And these were strictly repeated and reinforced in school, and in every given occasion. I used to think that some speeches were redundant and that, by the time I was in high school, I knew a lot of them by heart. But now, being a mother myself, I find that there really is no end to how and why you teach your kids values and manners. Someone’s values really come out in times of trouble. I have come to see that what one values will show anyone who that person is. Manners also show how a person thinks and what a person thinks is right and wrong.Both, to me, are important categories for development in children.

I consider myself still quite young. With only 3 decades under my belt and the good first of it being purely developmental, I would have to say that I certainly have not seen it all. But getting married rather young, getting separated, having two kids, and becoming a single mom to them at a very young age (them and I!); I often wonder how to teach them the things I think are important. Sometimes, I even wonder if what I think is important really is so.Let me run down the values and manners I want to teach my kids.

Manners every kid should be taught:

When asking for something, say “Please.”
When receiving something, say “Thank you.” Be appreciative. Gratitude is always better than expectation. When someone helps you, say “thank you.” That person will likely want to help you again. This is especially true with teachers!
Do not interrupt grown-ups who are speaking with each other unless there is an emergency. They will notice you and respond when they are finished talking.
If you do need to get somebody’s attention right away, the phrase “excuse me” is the most polite way for you to enter the conversation. Also, if you bump into somebody, immediately say “Excuse me.” This phrase goes a long way.
When you have any doubt about doing something, ask permission first. It can save you from many hours of grief later.
The world is not interested in what you dislike. Keep negative opinions to yourself, or between you and your friends.
Do not comment on other people’s physical characteristics unless, of course, it’s to compliment them, which is always welcome. Don’t call people mean names. Do not make fun of anyone for any reason. Teasing shows others you are weak, and ganging up on someone else is cruel. No one likes a bully.
When people ask you how you are, tell them and then ask them how they are. But If this is going to be a long sob story, just say you are fine and return the question. Most of the time, your troubles aren’t of interest to a mere acquaintance so reserve this for friends or family.
When you have spent time at your friend’s house, remember to thank his or her parents for having you over and for the good time you had.
Knock on closed doors — and wait to see if there’s a response — before entering.
When you make a phone call, introduce yourself first and then ask if you can speak with the person you are calling.
Forgo foul language. A potty mouth is very unattractive.
Even if a play or an assembly is boring, sit through it quietly and pretend that you are interested. The performers and presenters are doing their best. And one day, this might even be you.
Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and don’t pick your nose in public. Do not spit on the ground! This is unhygienic and just plain nasty.
As you walk through a door, look to see if you can hold it open for someone else.
If you come across a parent, a teacher, or a neighbor working on something, ask if you can help. If they say “yes,” do so — you may learn something new.
When an adult asks you for a favor, do it without grumbling and with a smile.
Use eating utensils properly. If you are unsure how to do so, ask your parents to teach you or watch what adults do. Keep a napkin on your lap; use it to wipe your mouth when necessary.
Don’t reach for things at the table; ask to have them passed.
Do not shake your legs or put your elbows on the table. They show weak character, nerves, or disinterest.

Important Values to Have:

Kindness- I find that it is always better to be kind than on the defensive.Being on the defensive is just so tiring and, often times kindness gets you better results.
Gratitude- As I mentioned earlier, it is better to know how to be grateful than to be filled with expectation. No one person, whether stranger or family, can be exactly how you want them to be and today, not everyone even acts nicely so being grateful always results in positivity.
Hope- Because when this is gone, there is no meaning to life.
Respect- We live in a world colored by differences and respect for everyone and everything is paramount.
Hard work- “Everyone has to start from some place and most often than not, it is at the bottom” This is a phrase my aunt and uncle have been teaching my cousins all their lives and it is so true.Not only does hard work pay off but it makes what is worked for all the more special.
Faith- whatever you choose to believe in, make sure that you know it well and you believe in it wholeheartedly.
Love- It is what a person breathes to survive. It is important to know how to give this and receive this.
Independence- Because it is very important to know how to do things on your own, even if you have one or a multitude of people ready to do anything for you.
Truth- Really, at the end of the day, there is nothing to be done with a stack of untruths, so why bother shelling them out or receiving them?
Responsibility- unless you want to live on an island, you must become accountable for something or someone at some point in your life.

Both lists for manners and values were listed in no particular order so this means I consider all to be equally important.These were also listed after reflection and a lot of time with my kids. These are living lists meaning they are constantly changing as I go through life and learn myself.

What are some of the values and manners that are important to you?

Single Parenthood and Home Schooling

May 23, 2011 | 1 Comment

Single parenting is hard. If you are a couple with kids, think of how tough it is to lose weight and double this. Single parenthood has its pro’s and con’s.

The upside to being single parent

Its pro’s include absolute autonomy. You do not need to confer with anyone when it comes to decisions making about the kids. You can impart the values you think they should have, teach them what you know, and basically arm them how you think is best. You are not limited by another person’s thoughts or opinions when it comes to work hours, kids of work, how much you get done or not done around the house. You are completely free to think of the best possible path for yourself and your kids.

The downside to being a single parent

The con’s include the fact that you have to do all this on your own and this means it is on you to mold these precious beings into happy, healthy, and productive people when they grown older. It is on you to make sure that they eat at least three square, healthy meals, are schooled properly, are taught what they need to know to function and be independent. You have no help when it comes to keeping house and home, paying bills, or acquiring assets.

Can a single parent home-school?

All this said, it is hard to imagine how to fit home schooling into a single parents plan. I guess it would all depend on what kind of support system the single parent has. I have heard that in other countries, single parents get a lot of discounts and even financial help from the government. For some countries apparently, health care and even schooling is free. I do not know this for sure or as a fact. What I do know is that in my country, single parenthood is hard.

Here, to manage in maintaining food, shelter, health care, and schooling, a single parent needs to either ask for help from better off relatives or have a really good, high paying job, with lots of benefits. Otherwise, single parents work long hours, some with two or more smaller jobs on the side. Some take on night work to make the most of the higher percentages in wages. And almost all who do it on their own have very little time to spend at home. And to think that there is no real day care system in my country so kids left at home are often cared for by extended family or a paid, stay-in nanny.

Home schooling, from what I have seen requires one main element- the parent’s time and presence at home to oversee the educational development of the child or children. How is this to be done when the parent is out of the house? The recommendation here then is to have a guardian, like an aunt or grandparent take over the teaching. Is it as effective as the parent doing it? Home schooling would be a financially lighter and educationally better choice for single parents. It is cheaper to home school and you have control over what your kids learn, how they learn, etc. But can it be done for single moms like me?

In a situation where the parent has little time to spend at home, is home schooling still an option? If so, what is the work-around for the lack of availability?

Spend Less on Your Memorial Day BBQ

May 22, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Curtesy of Pixabay

Before I begin talking about barbecuing – I feel it is important to note – that Memorial Day– which was once known as Decoration Day – is a time to honor all those brave men and women who have lost their lives serving our great country. The first Memorial Day was observed on May 30th 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers — at Arlington National Cemetery.

For many people, Memorial Day is also when they spend some good quality time — with friends and family. The holiday is viewed as the official kick-off of grilling season. Since Memorial Day provides a good number of us with a long weekend, this seems like the perfect time to get friends and family together — to eat, play and enjoy each other’s company. Like many Americans — you may be thinking of planning a Memorial Day BBQ. However, sometimes budget restrictions can make you feel like you can’t have people over — because you simply can not afford it.

Fear not! I have some great ideas (if I do say so myself) on how you can plan a fun and festive Memorial Day BBQ — and spend less.

Tip #1: Save on Invites

It’s always nice to send invites but you don’t have to go to all the trouble – and expense – of buying invitations and mailing them out. In today’s world, there are so many ways – of letting people know – about the get-togethers we are planning! Evite is one of my favorites! They have great invitations, for just about any occasion. Using Evite is not only frugal — but eco-friendly as well. You probably wouldn’t send wedding invites out this way, but for birthday parties – and other informal get-togethers – it is just perfect! 🙂

If most of your friends are on Facebook— there is a great event application there as well. With Evite and Facebook events — it also makes it super simple for your guests to RSVP and for you to send out reminders. This will help to ensure that you get an accurate head count, so you can plan accordingly.

In the invite, remind people to wear their sunscreen and to bring their bug repellent. These are two very important things to have for any BBQ!

Tip #2: Save on Food

Hosting a BBQ potluck is another great way to save money on your Memorial Day celebration. If your friends and family are anything like mine, they are very thoughtful and always ask – or insist – on bringing something to the party. This is not only a kind gesture and money saver — it also helps take some of the stress of planning, off of your shoulders. The less food you have to prepare — the more time you’ll have to spend on other things, so you can enjoy the BBQ along with everyone else.

Keep it simple. Your guests don’t expect you to do anything elaborate. Grilling up burgers, hot dogs, and sausages — are just perfect for an event like this. If you can find a good deal on ribs, fish or other cuts of meat go for it — but you certainly don’t have to.

Tip #3: Save on Decorations

Do decorations from parties past — linger in your garage, attic, or some other storage place? Awesome! Get them out, dust them off and put them to good use. There is no law – that I am aware of anyway – which states that you can not re-use decorations. While it might not be appropriate to use your child’s 1st birthday banner, there are other decorations that might work beautifully — even last year’s 4th of July decor will work quite nicely.

If you don’t have any old decorations to use, head you your local dollar store as see what they have on hand. If you don’t want to do that, you can just buy a fun table cloth and put some fresh flowers out — and you’ll be all set!

Tip #4: Save on Entertainment

You don’t have to spend a lot to keep your guests entertained. Most people like to just sit around and chat — but if you want to add some other activities for your guests to do, there are a few ways to do this.

Get out the board games or even a deck of cards and have some fun.
Potato sack races? Why sure — that sounds like a fine idea!
Host a scavenger hunt. This is great for kids of all ages!
Do a good ol’ fashion egg toss. Hard boil the eggs if you like — or don’t hard boil them, this adds a little more drama to the competition 🙂
Flag football! Just cut up some old t-shirts – or towels – for the flags and away you go!
You can play croquet, volleyball, Frisbee or badminton depending on how much space you have. If don’t have these games, a friend or family member might.

What are you planning this Memorial Day weekend? Do you have some other suggestions on how people can save on these types of parties? I’d love to hear them!!!

Getting Back to Fit

May 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Curtesy of Pixabay

If you have had kids, and you are not part of that blessed percentage that just watches as fat melts away naturally after giving birth, then chances are you will still be saddled by some form of baby weight. At least I am, after two kids delivered by caesarian section, still struggling with extra weight. And so are a number of my mommy friends.

This is a really frustrating thing for me because I was quite fit all throughout my twenties, after shedding the baby fat of those teen years. I also come from a family that has a tendency to expand after having children so I always told myself that I would be careful and be diligent about my weight and the way that I look after having kids.

But because of a number of reasons- separation, two kids in close succession, full time work and now with added part-time jobs on the side- the weight and waistline just expanded beyond my control. Add to that that I quit smoking (yahoo!) at the beginning of this year. During the last quarter of last year I made a commitment to get back to being fit. I signed up at a gym and researched on many different diets. It is a struggle I am still wrestling with today.

Here are some things I have come to realize on the weight loss quest:

Commitment is required for weight loss

It is all about commitment first. You have to really want to lose weight because it is this desire that will keep you focused on the goal and will keep your resistance to those ‘bad things’ strong.

Diet and exercise are necessary

Since I do not have the money or stomach to undergo any kind of cosmetic surgery, I am resorting to the tried and tested diet and exercise formula. Doing research also has shown that there is no magic product to help with weight loss. You really just have to sweat it out. I figured, hey, it took some effort to pack on the pounds. I need to now exert the required effort to take these off.

You cannot crash diet or force exercise

It really has to be about finding that diet that works for your body, is still healthy and will not have you depriving yourself of the vitamins and minerals you need on a daily basis, and it has to be something you are willing to stick to for life. If you look at some people who went on certain diets then lose weight, then went off the diets and ballooned, you will realize that it is about changing eating habits as a whole. Look at Jennifer Aniston for example. She is looking great and she has been on her diet for a looong time. I really believe it is about changing for good. With exercise, it is about finding the kind of physical activity that appeals to you. My close friend swears by the meditative and weight loss effect of yoga, another says Pilates is the way to go, another boxes it out three to four time a week. I have found that, as long as you are not doing steroids or taking drugs, physical activity of any kind that gets you moving daily will do.

So, I am now in the process of revamping my diet and exercise plan. I will post again about my new approach as I have had more than 6 months now to try different things out.

What are some of your suggestions for a good, healthy, sustainable diet and exercise program?

Super Simple {and really fun} Nature Craft

May 13, 2011 | 3 Comments

curtesy of FreeFoto.com

Yes, it’s me again — the reluctant crafter. If you have been reading this blog for awhile, then you know I have publicly admitted that I am not one of those wonderfully crafty mommies. I do my best — and my kids seem okay with my limited ability, in this area of Mommy-hood. However, they really do love crafts (even the really simple kind), so I often peruse crafting websites trying to find easy – and not terribly messy – things to do with the kids.

One Saturday morning, I was watching TV and there was a craft show on. It was all centered around fun things to do with the kids. The host of the show, is like the Macgyver of making toys for kids, by re-purposing just about anything (milk cartons, egg cartons, cans, butter containers, broken wooden handles, etc.). Some of the things she made — the boys would have broken faster than it took to actually make. However, she also had some annoyingly creative ideas as well. There was one thing she made that stuck with me and I just tried it the other day.

Nature Walk Craft

I am always looking for fun things to do with the kids — and ways to provide opportunities, to help them learn about the world around them. Admittedly, some days I am better at this than others. On this particular day, I was running out of things to do with the kids, they were wanting to do a craft (I couldn’t talk them into doing watercolors again) and we all really needed to get out for a walk. It was almost lunch/nap time though, so I didn’t have a lot of time to put anything together but I knew I had to think of something — and fast.

That is when this craft came to mind. It’s simple:

What you need:

Sandwich bags
Yarn
A hole punch
Construction paper
Glue

Take the sandwich bag and punch a hole at the top on either side
Cut a piece of yarn and tie each end into a hole — this makes a collection bag. (The boys wore their collection bags during the walk)
Go on a nature walk. This can be as simple as walking through your own backyard, neighborhood, local park, or taking a hike.
Let the kids look at discover all the things they see. They will stop and examine items and put things their bags. I honestly thought the boys would stuff anything they could see in their bags, but they were pretty selective.
After you are done with your walk — get the construction paper out. You can either let the kids glue their items on their paper, or (this is my favorite method) squeeze out a bunch of Elmer’s glue onto the paper and let the kids glue their items on. They did this while I was making lunch.
Let Dry the picture dry.

This was such an easy thing to do, and I really had no idea how much the kids would love it. The whole time we were on our walk A. was singing “We are going on a nature walk. We’re going on a nature walk.” It was so cute. It was also, the first thing the boys told their Dad about when he got home. They had a blast, got some fresh air, good exercise, and made a craft like they wanted to.

It’s the simple things that make life so sweet. My kids have definitely taught me that! 🙂

Do you use crafts to make everyday experiences memorable? What other nature crafts can you recommend?

To Homeschool Or Not…Part 1

May 11, 2011 | 1 Comment

If you are a parent, there is one thing for sure you think about from the moment your precious one/s enter the world…how to educate them. This is certainly one of the thoughts that entered my mind and has taken, it seems, permanent residency there. It is just so important to me that my kids get the right schooling, the best schooling for them.

Now, before anyone jumps on me in anger, this is not a ‘Tiger Mom’ post. Far from it. I have neither the years of experience, the certainty, or the guts to let it all hang out there the way Amy Chua did. This is more a post looking at whether to homeschool my kids or not.

Why am I looking at Homeschooling in particular? Of all the approaches, why this? The answer is simple. I have very good friends who espouse Homeschooling and who swear that it is the best thing to hit education since the advent of the textbook. But what is homeschooling exactly? Let me go through a very simplified and brief approach to Homeschooling.

How to get started homeschooling

I am not sure how it is defined or the processes that go into it in other countries but here in Manila, in a nutshell, Homeschooling is the parent or guardian taking responsibility and control of educating their children at home instead of sending them to an institution like public or private school. Here, the parent or guardian signs up of joins an accredited Homeschooling group first. This group must have the proper licenses and must have a curriculum approved by the Department of Education. The parent or guardian must keep in touch with the head of this group and give updates and reports about the progress of their child. There are two main reasons for this; that the parent is able to go to an authority for help should this be needed; and there is some form of check and balance still existing to make sure that the parent or the guardian is keeping up with the level requirements. After this, the parent is left to look at the level curriculum and create their own school schedule for this kids. This should include the subjects and topics in detail, the way this will be taught, the reinforcement, the activities about the activities, the testing. Main testing will be done at accredited centers and exams to certify that the child has passed from one level to the next should be given by the Department of Education.

Here are some Pro’s and cons to Homeschooling:

Homeschooling Pros

Children are taught according to their learning styles and interests.
Parents have more control over how and what their children are taught.
Children can progress slowly or quickly, according to their abilities.
Schedules are based on what the parents thinks is an important distribution of activities.
Flexible schedules allow time for breaks, field trips, vacations.
The cost of homeschooling for a year is about 1/10 the cost of a year in private school.
Parents can transmit their values to children and shelter them from negative influence.

Homeschooling Cons

Parents must help children improve upon their weaknesses and not just cater to their strengths.
Parents take on sole responsibility for their children’s education.
Family crises, illness and lax supervision by parents can interfere with learning.
Parents must purchase own materials and be in-charge of the teaching styles that will best help their children learn.
Parents must search for activities such as sports and music that can be extra-curricular activities or supplements to learning.
Parents must give children increasing independence and a chance to learn to stand for their values.
Parents must be vigilant about ensuring their children still have socialization with their peers.

I have been thinking about this seriously and have had long talks with my friends about whether homeschooling is the way to go or not. I will post again about my progress on this topic.

What is homeschooling like where you live?

Happy Mother’s Day!

May 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Here in Manila, we have some holidays that are decidedly Western and Mother’s Day is one of them. It is made an even bigger event because I believe Filipino culture places a heavy emphasis on the place, value, and importance of the mother in a family. On Mother’s Day, you will see more traffic than normal (and that means a lot of traffic overall!) going to malls, parks, and restaurants. You will normally see heartwarming commercials with tear-inducing montages to mothers of all kind on TV at the beginning of the month and the bookstores will likely be festooned with Balloons and poems to Moms. Needless to say, it is a fairly big day.

Celebrating Mother’s Day as a Single Mom with Young Children

Since I became a mom, I like doing something just a little special to celebrate. It is said here that this is a day when Mom’s are treated like Queens, chores suspended for a day, meals cooked and served to them, etc. but since my kids are still young, I normally get lots of hugs, kisses, and ‘I love you very much, mommy’ comments rather than the other stuff—which is fantastic still, in my opinion. So, I orchestrate the ‘celebrations’ and this usually involves just a special meal and/or a trip somewhere not normally visited with the kids.

This year, I decided to bake a chocolate cake. You may be scratching your head wondering why this is different or special. Well, it is so because 1. I have never baked a cake from scratch, even when I used to bake and sell cupcakes and bars. 2. Since I have taken on single parenting, I have had very little time to do any kind of baking.

I decided to try this traditional cake because I wanted to know how to make a cake that could be a staple for celebrations. I found a seemingly yummy recipe online and decided to try it out. Here it is.

Moist Chocolate Cake:

Chocolate Cake:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup unsweetened coca powder (not Dutch-processed)
1 cup boiling water
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (240 ml) milk

Frosting:

5 ounces (140 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup (80 ml) milk
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
4 pounds (1 pound/ 454 grams confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted to remove lumps
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter, or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray, and line with parchment paper, two – 9 x 2 inch deep (23 x 5 cm) round baking pans.
In a stainless steel or heatproof bowl place the chopped unsweetened chocolate (baking, plain chocolate) and cocoa powder (natural, not Dutch processed ones). Pour the boiling water over the chocolate and cocoa powder and stir until they have melted. Set aside to cool while you make the batter.
In a separate bowl, whisk to combine, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy (this will take about 3-5 minutes).
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Make sure to smell the eggs and to check that they are not spoiled before adding them to the mixture or you will need to redo everything, and get and measure out a new set of ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate mixture and beat to combine.
Add the milk and flour mixtures in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat only until the ingredients are incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for about 35 – 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes.
Then remove the cakes from their pans and cool completely on a greased wire rack before frosting.

Frosting:

Melt the chopped chocolate in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool.
Then place the melted chocolate, milk, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and vanilla extract in the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. (Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer.) Add the pieces of softened butter and beat on low speed for about 2 minutes. When the frosting starts to come together increase the speed to medium and beat for about 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the speed to high and beat the frosting for 1 – 2 minutes more or until it is of spreading consistency. If necessary, add more milk or sugar.

To Assemble:

Place one layer of cake, top side down, on your serving plate and cover with a layer of frosting.
Then place the second layer of cake, top side down, onto the first cake layer and then frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
Can garnish with fresh fruit or shaved chocolate

It was tough getting back to the preciseness of baking after being out of baker’s mode for a long time but it was cool to see the cake come together. The finished result was quite good as well. I wish I had taken a picture to showcase my first attempt but the idea popped into my mind after half of the cake had been eaten so…next time. I intend to make it again at the end of the month for my birthday and, seeing as I have tried it before, I expect it to look better and to be able to whip it up faster.

What do you do on Mother’s Day?